China extends $1 billion loan to Ethiopia for the building transmission lines news

Africa's biggest hydropower dam under construction on the Nile.

China yesterday extended a $1 billion loan to Ethiopia for building of transmission lines linking its capital Addis Ababa with Africa's biggest hydropower dam under construction on the Nile.

The country looks to emerge as one of the world's leading power exporters and has investment plans of $12 billion to harness energy from the rivers running off its rugged highlands. It has plans for generation of over 40,000 MW of hydropower over the next two decades.

The centrepiece of the projects in the Horn of Africa country is the $4.1 billion Grand Renaissance Dam in the western Benishangul-Gumuz region, which is designed to generate 6,000 MW upon completion.

China has made heavy investments in African infrastructure and its companies often take up work on the building projects it finances.

The 619-km (385-mile) link from the 6,000-MW Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River would be constructed over the next three years by China Electric Power Equipment and Technology, according to deputy prime minister of economy and finance Debretsion Gebremichael who spoke to reporters in Addis Ababa yesterday.

''The construction of this big transmission line will help benefit our economy and ensure our industrial development,'' Debretsion said.  Funding for the two 500-kilovolt cables would come primarily from the Export-Import Bank of China, he added.

According to the World Bank, Ethiopia, had the second-highest hydropower potential in Africa after the Democratic Republic of Congo, and hoped to complete the self-funded $5-billion Nile dam, which would be the continent's biggest power plant, in 2018.

Source: http://www.hydroworld.com

Militants kill Somali prosecutor, threaten more

Curuba Hotel Mogadishu

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Islamist militants killed Somalia's deputy chief prosecutor and will target more judiciary staff while the government tries to reform the courts, a militant spokesman said on Friday.

The al Shabaab rebel group, which is linked to al Qaeda, has foguht for six years to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law, or sharia, on Somalia.

The shooting of Ahmed Sheikh Nur Maalin, Somalia's deputy national prosecutor, on Thursday followed a wave of suicide bombings and shootings earlier this month in which 30 people were killed.

"It was part of our operation against courts and their men," Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, spokesman for al Shabaab's military operation, told Reuters. "We shall also kill the remaining one by one."

The attacks were launched at a time when security in Mogadishu had been improving after two decades of civil war.

The government believes strengthening the rule of law and reforming the judiciary is vital but al Shabaab is determined to prevent it.

Donor countries are working with Somalia's new government to reform the judiciary, the police and the army.

Britain will host an international conference in London on May 7 on ways to bolster security, impose the rule of law and rebuild the nation. So far there has been slow progress on all three areas.

(Reporting by Abdi Skeikh and Feisal Omar; Writing By Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Edmund Blair and Angus MacSwan)

Instability and Islamic Militancy in the Horn of Africa

Although a thorough analysis of the political situation in the Horn of Africa needs to take Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya, Somaliland and Puntland, as well as colonial history into consideration, this article will merely stress the recent developments in Somali government reconstruction and the end of the civil war in a background of ensuing Islamic militancy present in the whole of East Africa.

Despite the establishment of a new government in what was for twenty years a stateless, war-ravaged Somalia, peace in the country and increasingly more so for the whole region of the Horn and East Africa is still fragile.  

On April 14^th 2013, 29 civilians were killed by an al-Shabaab suicide bomb attack followed by shootings at the Benadir Court Complex in Mogadishu, as well as 5 more people who died after the detonation of a car bomb outside the airport. The acts were named as acts of terrorism and desperation by the new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, sworn in in August 2012, implying that the anti-government militia group is on the verge of being annihilated and therefore reacts with a ‘last-stand’ act against the government. 

The al-Shabaab has – in theory – been defeated, at least in the major towns. Yet, the actual events of April 14^th signify that the militia group is very much powerful and still present in the country. This attack at the very heart of the capital is the deadliest since the al-Shabaab were driven out of Mogadishu and other important towns in 2012 by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in collaboration with the Ethiopian forces and their allied armies. Therefore security in Somalia still remains fragile.

Investigations by legal bodies, international monitoring and human rights groups highlight that the newly-formed government army, essentially made up of former militiamen, remains largely clan-based with allegiances to various warlords still exerting influence despite their EU training. What is more, the army’s soldiers are poorly-paid with wages coming from the European Union[1], and have been repeatedly accused by rights groups to have abused their power and discriminated against marginalized, vulnerable populations (especially the displaced that came to Mogadishu following the famine in 2011-2012) by use of sexual, physical and other forms of violence[2].

Although the country has in fact made great steps in stripping away its “failed-state” label  since last year, critics fear that the situation in Somalia is still worrying mostly because it threatens to destabilize neighboring Kenya and the already widely unstable Sudan and Yemen or even far-flung Mali, to which fragments of Somali Islamist militias are believed to be currently dispersed and seething.

The arms issue is another looming problem for the region. The Somali government has requested that the UN lifts its arms embargo, in place since 1991 (when the civil war broke out). The Security Council agreed to partially lift the embargo for a year, in March 2013, in order for the Somali army to equip itself against the al-Shabaab. Yet, with the army still being a nebulous institution, most probably still infiltrated by clan allegiances and warlord-based tactics, the arms embargo is, according to many analysts, an indifferent or perhaps even dangerous move. David Shinn, former US ambassador to Ethiopia and current professor of International Affairs at George Washington University, believes that lifting the arms embargo will not really make a difference because an excess of arms is already overflowing the region[3]. 

Pockets of resistance - and very well equipped ones - still operate at the southern and coastal borders of Somalia, and towards the north in Somaliland and Puntland, fuelled with arms from Yemen and, as has lately been advocated, Iran. Arms have been proven of leaving Yemeni ports towards al-Shabaab strongholds in northern Somalia, caught by US-led investigations, that the Sana’a government says were sent by Iran[4].

Although this fact has raised a storm in the international media as well as intensified the fears of the US, Peter Kagwanja, Director of the Africa Policy Institute, points his finger to a troubling, and very true, fact:

"Somalia is a country caught between a transition from a war economy, dominated by warlords and other criminal networks, and a peace economy which is now beginning to evolve around the new government in Mogadishu. So what you see is not a coordinated process of exporting arms to Somalia, it is basically a way of networks of Somali warlords finding sources of arms and this is where Iran becomes one of the major sources. Iran is facing global sanctions and it naturally looks for whichever way is available to make a dollar or two in order to keep its economy soaring ... It's a natural trend by countries facing embargos or sanctions."[5]

Through this statement, the irony is very well apparent: The US is trying to safeguard western interests and keep Islamic fundamentalism away in East Africa, while at the same time fuels a burgeoning radical Islam via its steadfast economic wars on Iran, its support for Ethiopia and its connection to Israel. It could be therefore said that Africa, the Horn (and the Sahel) especially, is once more becoming a stage in the new version of the Cold War. Only, this time, the Soviet Union has allegedly been replaced by radical Islam. The western-backed policies of the United Nations in East Africa and the French-led operations in Mali, added with the steady counterattacks by Islamist militias against the western-led interests in the region have ultimately exacerbated the instability in the Horn of Africa to a point where little or nothing can be done to ensure complete stability not only in Somalia, or Sudan, or Mali, or the Horn; but Islamic Africa as a whole.

Africa is a prosperous ground for such confluence of chaos, since some parts of the continent (Somalia contemporaneously being the first among them) have been left twisting in the vertigo of postcolonial tribal politics, ethnic divisions, and historical wounds. In Somalia particularly (as was the case for Ethiopia, and Eritrea) today’s war-economy is directly linked to the remnants of the Cold War period, when the country became a proxy, interchanging between the Soviet and  American sides. Now, developments between Sudan and South Sudan also affect the whole of the East African region, as has the Libyan war and the Arab Spring (through the renewed and widespread dispersal of arms), as well as the (longstanding) Yemeni influence in Somalia. The recent conflict in the Sahel has also been one the latest additions to what can no longer be called a ‘Horn problem’, but a general, looser, Islamic African problem, spreading to East Africa, too. 

Foreign mingling in the Horn of Africa has never seceded, as the region has been and will continue to be an area of great geostrategic importance due to its significant position connecting the Arabian Peninsula to North and East Africa, and due to the possibility of standing on untapped oil, mineral and natural gas reserves.

But how did Islamic fundamentalism prosper in East Africa? During the 1990s Somalia was judged to be a key entry point for Islamic militants into East Africa, and the apparent growth in Islamic militancy in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is attributable to this continuous immigration flow. Each of these countries in East Africa has seen widespread political repression, economic crises, rapid change and urbanization, and has experienced extensive economic, social and political problems. 

Therefore the populations are largely dissatisfied and disillusioned. According to Ted Dagne, an American analyst, al-Qaeda was able to exploit the circumstances of widespread poverty, ethnic and religious antagonism and conflict, poorly patrolled borders, and often corrupt and inefficient government officials to create a regional 'terror centre' in East Africa. He adds that “from 1991, when Osama bin Laden was based in Sudan, al- Qaeda has been building a network of Islamist groups in both the Horn of Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia) and East Africa (Kenya,Tanzania and Uganda)”.[6] Further, there are suggestions and some evidence that some transnational and local Islamic NGOs abet the growth of Islamic militancy in the sub-region. They pursue this goal by blurring distinctions between social, economic, political and religious functions and goals in directions that are commensurate with the objectives of the militants.[7]

Islamic fundamentalism arose in Somalia in the 1990s with the formation of al Itihad al Islamiya, a group of several Islamist units operating throughout the country and which held as their ultimate goal to unite the whole of the Horn (Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia) under one Islamic State. They embarked on a mission to reclaim Ogaden (the Somali region in Ethiopia) and succeeded in seeing through a number small-scale operations in Addis Ababa as well, before being pushed back by the Ethiopian army. 

Then came the rise of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) which was a different entity yet blended into the ideology of al Itihad al Islamiya, which introduced Sharia Law and loosely governed the country until 2006, when AMISOM entered the country and installed the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). Following their defeat in Mogadishu, the ICU splintered into several smaller factions, of which the most prominent is the al-Shabaab, whose members regrouped to continue fighting the TFG, Ethiopian, and Western presence in Somalia.

Today, the al-Shabaab are thought to have been dispersed and rendered more powerless since they were driven out of the capital as well as the port of Kismayo and other key towns. Sources in the media claim that the al-Shabaab are found in a crisis situation and a letter, sent to Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s leader, on April 12th 2013, by a member of the al-Shabaab is circulating on the internet[8] is a cry for help. It reads, among others “we are walking in a dark tunnel, and don’t know what is hiding for us in it” and “the jihadi spirit has receded and the motives for creation and production have been destroyed”. No mentions or comments have been made on this letter by the al-Shabaab on their twitter account, as an article mentions[9], and even though the group is certainly facing difficulties since they have lost their urban strongholds, the credibility of the publication is obscure and the recent attack on Mogadishu obviously questions their total loss of power. 

In conclusion, Somalia may have succeeded into ending a 21-year-long civil war, but it remains the problematic locus for the whole of East Africa. Yet, as Terje Østebø points out[10], the gains made by Islamic militant groups are neither due to their military superiority nor their successful guerilla tactics alone. Islamic extremists succeeded in filling the vacuum left by the absence of effective government control. Radical Islamic groups took the chance to provide education, health, protection, welfare, justice, employment and other services to a large number of disadvantaged populations[11] throughout the past two decades (and even before the ousting of the Siad Barre government in 1991). Since the culture of relying on autonomous power groups and warring clans is deeply rooted in Somali history, preceding colonialism, asserting that a newly-formed government today will successfully unite all factions of a broken society with insignificant funding from external sources is, at best, a far-fetched illusion.

---

[1] Al Jazeera, Inside Story, “Somalia’s Peace Running on Empty?” 16/04/2012 http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2013/04/201341671734679286.html

[2] Human Rights Watch, “World Report”, Accessed 16/04/2013 http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/somalia

[3] Al Jazeera, Inside Story, “Somalia: Arms Race vs Arms Embargo?” 12/02/2013 http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2013/02/2013212732567777.html

[4] ibid.

[5] ibid.

[6] Haynes, Jeffrey, ‘Islamic Militancy in East Africa’, Third World Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 8 (2005), pp. 1321-1339 http://www.jstor.org/stable/4017717

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ahmed, Majid, ‘Open Letter to al-Zawahiri rocks foundations of al-Shabaab’, 12/04/2013, Accessed 17/04/2013 http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/features/2013/04/12/feature-01

[9] Ibid.

[10] Østebø, Terje, ‘Islamic Militancy in Africa’, Africa Security Brief No. 23, November 2012,  http://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/AfricaBriefFinal_23.pdf

[11] Sii’areg, A. Duale, ‘The Birth and Rise of Al-Ittihad Al-Islami in the Somali Inhabited Regions in the Horn of Africa’, 15/11/2005, http://wardheernews.com/articles/November/13__Alittihad_Sii'arag.html


BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ahmed, Majid, ‘Open Letter to al-Zawahiri rocks foundations of al-Shabaab’, 12/04/2013, Accessed 17/04/2013   http://sabahionline.com/en_GB/articles/hoa/articles/features/2013/04/12/feature-01
AMISOM, ‘Brief History of AMISOM’, Accessed 16/04/2013   http://amisom-au.org/about-somalia/brief-history/
Human Rights Watch, “World Report”, Accessed 16/04/2013  http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/somalia
Østebø, Terje, ‘Islamic Militancy in Africa’, Africa Security Brief No. 23, 11/2012,  Accessed 17/04/2013,   http://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/AfricaBriefFinal_23.pdf

Sii’areg, A. Duale, ‘The Birth and Rise of Al-Ittihad Al-Islami in the Somali Inhabited Regions in the Horn of Africa’, 15/11/2005, Accessed 17/04/2013  http://wardheernews.com/articles/November/13__Alittihad_Sii'arag.html

West, Sunguta, ‘Somalia's ICU and its Roots in al-Ittihad al-Islami’, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 4 Issue: 15, The Jamestown Foundation, 04/08/2006, Accessed 17/04/2013,   http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=854

Madaxweynaha Somaliland Axmed Siilaanyo oo ku gacansaydhay dawladda Maraykanka oo ka codsatay in uu ka qayb galo shirka Ingiriiska

Madaxweynaha Somaliland H,E. Axmed Maxamed Maxamud Siilaanyo

Washigton - Madaxweynaha Somaliland Axmed Maxamed Maxamud Siilaanyo oo ku sugan magaaladda washigton ee Dalka Maraykanka ayaa kulan la yeeshay Saraakiisha Maraykanka waxa ay kaga wadahadleen arrimo dhawr ah oo ay ka mid ahayd arrinta shirka Ingiriiska, dhaqaalaha dawladda Maraykanku siiso Somaliland iyo arrimo dhinaca Ganacsiga la xidhiidha.

Kulankaasiw axa ay dawladda Maraykanku Madaxweyne Axmed Siilaanyo si toos ah ugu bandhigtay isla markaana cadaadis ugu saartay in uu ka qayb galo shirka 7 May ka dhici doona Dalka Ingiriiska ee ay wada Guddoomin doonaan Madaxweynaha Somaliya iyo Raysal Wasaaraha Dalka Ingiriiska.

Hase yeeshee dalabka dawladda Maraykan waxa la sheegay Madaxweyne Axmed Siilaanyo in uu si toos ah uga hor yimi isla markaana Dawladda Maraykanka u bandhigay in aanay Somaliland waxa fursad ahi ugu jirin shirkaas. Dhinaca kalena Madaxweyne Siilaanyo waxa uu Maraykanka ku war-geliyay in Qaranimada Somaliland tahay mid shacbi oo aan ka noqosho lahayn.

Sidoo kale Madaxweyne Siilaanyo waxa uu dawladda Maraykanka u bandhigay dhaqaalaha aya siin jireen Somaliland in ay u soo mariyaan Sanduuqa Dhaqaalaha ee (Somaliland Somalialand Trusts Fund), kaasoo aya Dawladdo kaleaba bilaabeen in ay Somaliland u soo mariyaan dhaqaalaha ay siiyaan.

Go’aanka Madaxweyne Siilaanyo ku qaadacay shirka Ingiriiska ayaa ah mid talo qaran ku yimi isla markaana Madaxweyne Axmed Siilaanyo hore uga diiday David Camoren in uu kala qayb galoa shirkaasi inta ajandihiisa aya wada maamulyaan Somaliya iyo Ingiriiska oo kali ah.

Shacbiga Reer Somalialand ayaa taageero balaadhan u muujinaya go’aanka Madaxweynaha waxaanay aaminsan yihiin shirkaas in aanay dani ugu jirin haddii ay kaua waayayaan wax kasta oo kaga xidhan Ingiriis iyo Maraykanba.

Wareysi VOA Matthew Bryden: KA BIXITAANKA CIIDAMADA ITOOBIYA DALKA SOMALIA WAXAY MUUJINAYSAA KHILAAF U DHEXEEYA ADDIS ABABA IYO MUQDISHO

Matthew Bryden

Bilihii ugu dambeeyay waxa jiray mad madow soo kala dhex galay xiriirka dowladda Somalia iyo Ethiopia, kaas oo soo ifbaxay bishii la soo dhaafay markii ciidamada Ethiopia ay ka baxeen magaalada xudur ee Xarunta Gobolka Bakool.

Ra’isul wasaaraha Ethiopia  Hailemariam Desalegn ayaa talaadadii la soo dhaafay u sheegay baarlamanka Ethiopia in dowladiisa ay ka niyad xuntahay dowladda Somalia iyo qaabka ay wax ku wadaan ciidamada Nabad ilaalinta ee Midowga Africa, isagoo ku eedeeyay Amisom inay ku guul dareysatay inay fuliso balamo ay qaaday.

Waxuu Kaloo sheegay inay dar dargelinayaan in ciidamada Ethiopia ay ka soo baxaan Somalia sida ugu dhaqsiyaha badan.

Khamiistiina Wasiirka Arimaha dibadda ee Ethiopia oo la hadlayay Golaha Amaanka ee Qaramada Midoobay ayaa sheegay in Ethiopia uu culeys dhaqaale ka heysto ciidamadeeda ku suggan gudaha Somalia.

Hadaba waa maxay Istraatiijiyadda Ethiopia ay ka leedahay Somalia,  Waxaa su’aashaasi ay VOAdu hor dhigtay Matthew Bryden oo ah Madaxa Hay’adda Cilmi Baarista Sahan oo ka howlgasha Geeska Africa.

Wareysigaas waxaa warbixintan ku soo koobaya Maxamed Colaad Xassan.

Dhageyso warbixinta wareysiga Matthew Bryden

Abwaan Cabdillaahi Macallin Dhoodaan: Rukun Ka Baxay Hal-Abuurka Soomaaliyeed

Alle ha u naxariistii Hal-abuurkii weynaa ee Soomaaliyeed Marxuum Abwaan Cabdillaahi Macallin Axmed (Dhoodaan), ayaa shalay ku geeriyooday Cusbitaal ku yaalla magaalada Herer ee dalka Itoobiya, halkaas oo uu xaalad caafimaad u yaallay.

Rabbi Naxariistii Janno haka waraabiyo ee Marxuum Cabdillaahi Macallin Dhoodaan ayaa ka mid ahaa Rukunnada Hal-abuurka Soomaaliyeed ee Curiyey, Gabayo, Geeraarro, Heeso, Gabay-Jacbur iyo Maansooyin iyo qaybo kale oo Fanka Soomaalida ka mid ah.

Abwaan Cabdillaahi Macallin Dhoodaan Allaah ha u naxariisto

Allaah ha u naxariistee waxa uu Marxuumku shalay ku geeriyooday Cisbitaal ku yaalla Herer, waxaana Axadda Berri lagu aasi doonaa haddii Illaahay yidhaado magaalada Jigjiga ee xarunta Ismaamulka Soomaalida Itoobiya ee Killalka shanaad. Waxaana Aaskiisa Guddi qaban-qaabo u magacawday dawlad-deegaanka Soomaalida Itoobiya.

Marxuum Abwaan Dhoodaan, ayaa ahaa Nin Gabaydiisa aad loo xiiseeyn jirey, gaar ahaan waqtiyadii 1978- waqtigaasi oo uu ahaa Raggii Suugaanta ku dhalliili jiray Xukunkii kelitaliska ahaa ee Marxuum Maxamed Siyaad Barre. Waxaanu Abwaan Dhoodaan ahaa Raggii Mucaaridka ku ahaa xukunkaas laga bilaabo 1978 , waxaanu ahaa Raggii mucaaridnimada u banbaxey.

Waxa uu Marxuumku Gabayo ka soo saari jiray Idaacaddii codka shacabka Soomaalida Itoobiya oo uu gacanta uu ku hayey Taliskii Itoobiya waqtigaa ka jiray ee uu hoggaaminayey Madaxweynihii dalkaas Mingiste Hailemarium. Taasoo ku taallay xarunta dalkaas ee Addis-ababa, meeshaasi oo gabayo badan oo uu ku weeraraayo Muxamed Siyaad Barre iyo Xukunkiisii uu ka soo jeedin jirey.

Sida laga soo xigtay wareysi lala yeeshey Alle ha u naxariistee Abwaan Dhoodaan waxa uu sheegay in uu dhashey(1941), waxaanu ku dhashey meesha la yidhaado Wardheer Miyigeeda. Waxaanu sheegey in uu Gabeyga bilaabey isgoo jiray(16) sanno oo kaliya , waxaa xasuus mudan in ” cabdullahi macalin dhoodaan” aan aabahii iyo hooyadii ama ehelkiisa aaney gabeyga hido u laheyn amse aaney gabyi jirin balse uu isga ilaahey xigmad u siiyey hal-abuurnimada.

Wasiir Ku-xigeenka Wasaaradda Warfaafinta, Dhaqanka iyo Wacyigelinta Somaliland Cabdillaahi Maxamed Daahir (Cukuse), oo ku hadlaya Afka shacabka iyo qaranka Somaliland, ayaa War qoraal ah oo uu xalay ka soo saaray geerida Marxuumka kaga hadlay doorka uu Marxuum Dhoodaan ku lahaa Fanka iyo Hal-abuurnimada Soomaaliyeed oo uu sheegay inuu ahaa Rukun ka baxay Ummadda Soomaaliyeed, gaar ahaan Bahda Suugaanta Soomaalida.

Wasiir Cukuse waxa uu qoraalkaa Tacsi ugu diray qoyska, ehelada, qaraabada, asxaabta, shacabka Soomaalida Itoobiya iyo Bahda Fanka Soomaaliyeed ee uu ka baxay oo uu Illaahay uga beryey inuu Samior iyo Iimaan Saadiq ah ka siiyo Marxuum Abwaan Cabdillaahi Macallin Axmed (Dhoodaan), waxaanu Illaahay Marxuumka uga beryey inuu Naxariistii Janno ka waraabiyo.

Suugaanta Dhaxal-galka ah ee uu Marxuum Abwaan Cabdiilaahi Macalin Dhoodaan Illaahay naxariistii Janno haka waraabiyee uu ummadda Soomaaliyeed uga tagay waxa ka mid ah Gabaygan oo la yidhaahdo Alla-tuug oo uu Marxuumnku tiriyey 1974-kii, kaasoo uu ummadda Soomaaliyeed Illaahay ugaga beryayo inuu khayrka ku soo dabbaalo, kana saaro cudurrada, qabyaaladda, qaadka iyo fasahaadka. Waana kan Gabaygaasi ee nala dhugta:

Boqoroow Allahayoow adaa, baaqiyoo jira e
Bari iyo adigaanay Galbeed, kula balaadhnayne
Sawaariikhda adigaan ka baqin, oo iska soo baxa e
Adaanay bir orod dheer ku helin, amase baabuure
Baylood cirkaa mari adaan, buur ka hoos galine
Adigaa wixii aad burburin, berina joogayne
Baryadayda ii yeel adaan, kuu bandhigayaaye
Barashada cilmiga diinta yaan, baafiyaa waliye
Masaladii la baadhoo dhan baan, baal ka taagnahaye
In aad diinta ii badisid baan, kaa baryahayaaye
Nin waliba bilaadiisa wuu, barako maalaaye
Baradaydii gaal baa fadhiya, buuran tabartaye
Mana badheedhi karoo ninkaa, baaqsadaan ahaye
Inaad iga bixisaan rabaa, oon kaa baryahayaaye
Boqollaal rag oo wada fadhiya, badhaha suugyaasha
Oo turubka baandhayn hayoo, adigu ii baaq leh
Oon baabka waysiyo salaad, boqonta maydhaynin
Bogga naar inay dhigahayaan, baabka lagu sheegye
Umad baylahda u diid yaan, kaa baryahayaaye??
Bangi lacag ah geel badan rag loo, adhigu uu buuxo
Oo aanay baahiyi haynoo lo’dii, bowdka miranayso
Oon bakhaylnimo sakada, barina dhiibaynin
Bogga naar inay dhigahayaan, baabka lagu sheegye
Ummad bixisa oon diidin baan, kaa baryahayaaye
Xeroow aan bilowgii cilmiga, baran kitaabkiisa
Oo imaamyadii wada billaa, balah u sheegeeya
Isaguna inuu baastar yahay, baabka lagu sheegye
Barqankaa inaad bi’isid baan, kaa baryahayaaye
Barbaar aan cibaada Alliyo, Boqor adeecaynin
Oo baarka siinaay kalkii, bal u budlinaaya??
Oo buuri nuugoo ilkaha, dabarku uu buuxshay
Inay bohosha naar galahayaan, baabka lagu sheegye
Dhallin aan ibliis bi’inin baan, kaa baryahayaaye
Bogga kale haweenkiyo haddaan, baal kale u leexdo
Iyadoon Billaaahi iyo Islaanimo, ku buuraanin
Asturkii kolkii laga baxay bay, sii burburiyeene
Waxay baratamaayaan kob aad, uga ba’aysaaye
Boggaa qaawan bowdada cad iyo, naaska badhidiisa
Barta xaluska kaga taala iyo, bari dabkii gaadhay
Adoon baadhin baad heli kartaa, booska uu yahaye
Hablo badanka soo wada qarshaan, kaa baryahayaaye
Beeshii haddii aan wada marayoon, baal walba u eegay
Biyo lagu rogyaa iyo Jibriil, baalka mariyaaba
In halaag kusoo beegan yahay, baabka lagu sheegye
Bulsho kheyrka wada raadisaan, kaa baryahayaaye
Amiin

Return to sender? Maybe not as Somalia to restart mail 22 years on

Reuters/Reuters - An internally displaced woman walks along a war-ravaged street in Hodan district of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, September 6, 2011. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

GENEVA (Reuters) - Somalis may soon be receiving letters from abroad for the first time in more than 20 years after a deal was struck with the United Nations' postal agency, the latest step towards ending Somalia's isolation following two decades of civil conflict.

 But the challenges to bringing the Horn of Africa country back into the global postal community are manifold - there are no functioning post offices, only the main roads are named and most houses do not have a number.

 Add to that the ongoing struggle with al Qaeda-linked insurgents, who still control much of the countryside, and parts of the coastline infested with pirates, and it is clear the U.N.'s Universal Postal Union (UPU) and its partners have their work cut out.

 The Swiss-based UPU said in a statement on Friday that international postal services could start operating again in Somalia within the next few months.

 Somalia's Minister of Information and Communication Abdullahi Hirsi signed a memorandum of understanding with Emirates Post Group this week for Dubai to act as a hub for handling mail destined for Somalia, it said.

 The UPU, which brokered the deal, said its 192 member countries could resume sending mail to Somalia once the arrangements were finalized.

 About 2 million Somalis live abroad and 9.9 million in Somalia, served by a postal network that is "basically inexistant", the UPU said, having dwindled from 100 post offices in 1991.

 UPU spokesman Rheal LeBlanc said Somalia had created an office at the airport to handle mail moving in and out of the country, initially to service the government, embassies and universities, "but they seem to have plans to phase in postal services across the country over the next few months and years".

 Hirsi said his country would need help getting the post going again.

 "We ask for all means of assistance as we have to start from ground zero," the UPU statement quoted him as saying.

 In the latest sign of optimism that Somalia was emerging from its violent recent past, Britain opened an embassy at Mogadishu airport on Thursday after its previous mission closed in 1991 as civil war broke out.

 (Reporting by Tom Miles; editing by Mike Collett-White)

Somaliland: Hargeisa under siege following Barre’s Orders to Kill All But the Crows

Article updated with Input from reader DALJIRKA

Unearthing mass graves in Somaliland

Kill All But The Crows! How a Somali Regime killed its people and destroyed cities It shows

1. Colonel Yusuf Abdi Ali (Tuke) dowsing gas and lighting fire on his victims with their hands and foot tied all while smiling and enjoying the cries and pleas coming from his dying victims just like the Nazis.

2. Shows Generals Ahmed Warsame Mohamed, his deputy General Siyad Daud giving orders to massacre them all including the wounded. Kill them all but the Crows orders General Ahmed Warsame Mohamed.

3. Shows General Awees Geedo, an artillery specialist, instructing his various artillery divisions the types of missiles, rockets and other armaments they should be shelling at the city of Hargeisa.

4. It also shows general Morgan giving orders.

By: Innocent Victim

Somalilandsun – From 1969 to 1990, president and military dictator Siad Barre oversaw a campaign of widespread atrocities that decimated Somali civil society.

To quash separatist movements in the 1980s, the Somali Armed Forces targeted civilians in the northwest, culminating in the bloody 1988 siege of the regional capital Hargeisa, which claimed over 50,000 civilian lives


When Barre's regime finally collapsed in 1991, Somalia was plunged into a chaotic internal conflict from which it has never recovered. Today, Somalia is universally cited as a 'failed state.'

In 1981, a group of expatriates formed the Somali National Movement (SNM), with the goal of overthrowing Barre and by 1982; the SNM was ready to launch an invasion of northern Somalia from their base in Ethiopia.

Widespread Atrocities: 1978-1991

Throughout the early 1980s, the Barre regime used increasingly repressive tactics to suppress dissidents from all clans, with particular brutality in the northwest- Somaliland. The SNM prosecuted a low-intensity guerrilla war against the government throughout this period. Though the SNM also committed human rights violations, the overwhelming number of atrocities was committed by Somali government soldiers.

In 1988 SNM left its bases in Ethiopia and entered the country in full force and its engagement of the then mighty Somali National Army ensued with a rout from all present day Somaliland which was proclaimed a sovereign country on 18th May 1991.

"Kill All But The Crows!

Produced and Directed by Hussein Abdilahi Bukhan and Published on Apr 7, 2012 "Kill All But The Crows! Is a documentary of the 1988 genocide in Somaliland? The video depicts vividly how the then dictator president Mohammed Siad Bare assisted by his overzealous acolytes and henchmen systematically destroyed Hargeisa as well as other area of Somaliland where residents were also brutally annihilated.

http://www.cja.org/article.php?class=20&list=classt&type=512

KA GANACSIGA JIDHKA HAWEENKA SOOMAALIYEED OO MEEL XUN MARAYA, 5 GABDHOOD OO IN YAR KU SIGTAY

Waxaa  Magaalada garoowe ka ambabaxay Gabdhihi 5ta ahaa ee laga soo afduubay Deegaano hoosyimaada Gobolka Sh/dhexe iyadoo ragii soo Xaday dhawaan la maxkamadeyn doono,Gabdhahan oo ay wehliyaan  2waalid  ayaa loo sameeyey sagootin dhameystiran waxaana iska kaashaday Amba bixinta Caruurtan Hay’ada IOM iyo Agaasimaha Waaxda Hormarinta Caruurta ee Wasaarada haweenka maamul goboleedka Puntland Marwo Aamino Maxamuud Nuur.

Sagootinta Caruurtan iyo qaar ka mid ah waalidkood waxaa ka qayb qaatay hawshanah gacanta ku hayay Ku xigeenka Xeer ilaaliyaha Guud ee Dowlada Puntland Maxamed Xareed, Taliyaha guud ee CIDda Puntland C/fitaax Maxamuud Xaaji Cumar,Cumar Axmed Xirsi oo ah sarkaal ka tirsan Hay’ada IOM iyo Aamino Maxamuud Nuur oo ka tirsan Wasaarada haweenka, waxayna dhamaantoodba xuseen in Caruurtan Cafimaadkooda iyo noloshoodaba ay wacantahay oo aysan qabin wax dhibaato ah lagana badbaadiyay dadkii soo xaday oo hada Xabsiga ku xiran ,2dii bil ee Caruurtaasi gacanta lagu hayayna in aysan waayin dhamaan wax yaabaha daruuriga ah iyadoo aan loola dhaqmin dad guri ku xiran oo kale ugu dambeynah la amba baxshay oo barito Magaalada gaalkacyo oo ay galabta gaareen ay Diyaarad ka raaci doonaan oo ay Muqdisho ka dagi doonaan kadibna Gaari halkaasi laga saari doono lana geyn doono Hoygoodii meelaha ay sii marayaanah waxaa ku sugan wakiilo amnigooda iyo noloshooda sii ka faalo qaadaya sidaasina waxaa Raxan-reeb u sheegay Masuuliyiintii Gacanta ku hayay Caruurtaasi.

Qaar ka mid ah hooyooyinka Caruurtaasi oo Raxan-reeb la hadlayay waxay xuseen in mudadii ay ku sugnaayeen Garoowe ay heleen taageero badan iyo ka warqab wanaagsan aysana ahayn wax ay filayeen sida wanaagsan ee loola dhaqmay, Hooyooyinkan ayaa sheegay in sidoo kale ay ku faraxsanyihiin kuna qanacsan yihiin in ay dib ugu laabtaan deegaankoodii iyagoo nabad qaba waxayna soo dhaweeyeen in Diyaarad lagu geero Koonfurta Dalka Soomaliya oo ay sheegeen in ay noqon doonto Noloshooda markii ugu horeesay oo ay Diyaarad raacaan.

Maxamed Xareed faarax oo ah ku xigeenka Xeer ilaaliyaha Guud ee Puntland ayaa Raxan-Reeb u sheegay in Caruurtan la doonayay in laga ganacsado lagana faa’iideysto balse taasi ay meesha ka baxday,wuxuu kaloo sheegay in Nimanka 2da ah ee caruurta lasoo fakaday Waajibkooda la marin doono sidoo kalena ay jirto Baaritaano laga wado Bosaso oo la xiriirta in ay joogaan dad Caruurta Sii kaxeeya oo gacan ku leh Kiiskan.

In ka badan 2bil ayeey Caruurtan ku sugnaayeen Magaalada Garoowe waxaana laga badbaadiyay in ka ganacsi lagu sameeyo Xoogooda waxaa kaloo lagu balamay in la badiyo Bariitaanada siiba goobaha ay ku noolyihiin barakacayaasha oo laga yaabo in falalkani oo kale ay ka dhacaan hadii ay ahaan lahayd Caruur la daabulo ama Haween la waxyeeleeyo sida ay sheegeen Masuuliyintii gacanta ku hayay Caruurtan.

Embassy Row: Shadow democracy in Africa

Somaliland Foreign Minister Mohamed A. Omar

A small but stable democracy lies in the shadow of Somalia in the volatile and terrorist-infested Horn of Africa.

It formed a government based on the U.S. Constitution. It feeds more than 3.5 million residents and exports 4 million head of livestock a year to its biggest customer, Saudi Arabia.

It holds elections, and defeated incumbents peaceably transfer power to the opposition.

Yet for all its pretense to nationhood, Somaliland remains unrecognized diplomatically by all of the 193 countries of the United Nations. It is a stepchild of Somalia, which spent the past 22 years in anarchy, war and famine, while Somaliland quietly built a functioning democracy.

"It is a model for the region," Somaliland Foreign Minister Mohamed A. Omar told Embassy Row this week.

On a Washington visit with Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Mahamoud Silanyo and other government ministers, Mr. Omar explained that the purpose of the trip was to provide U.S. officials with an update on the region's progress and to lobby for U.S. recognition.

He said many nations in Africa are "holding back" recognition, "waiting for a signal from the West."

"Somaliland's case is not being hindered by legal issues. It is a political issue," he said.

Present-day Somalia was created in 1960 by the union of the former colonies of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. Mr. Omar said the goal then was to create a greater Somalia by drawing in ethnic Somalis in neighboring areas.

That goal failed. Somalia collapsed into a military dictatorship under Mohamed Siad Barre, who was overthrown in 1991. Somalia became a lawless nation, beset by pirates and terrorists. Massive international diplomacy and some military intervention have brought some stability to Somalia, which adopted a new constitution last year and held presidential and parliamentary elections.

Somaliland, meanwhile, declared independence in 1991 and spent the past two decades working out details with various clan leaders for a new government — modeled after the U.S. Constitution, with a president, bicameral legislature and independent judiciary. It held its first multiparty presidential election in 2003.

The CIA World Factbook 2013 says Somaliland, about the size of Virginia and West Virginia combined, has "maintained a stable existence and continues efforts to establish a constitutional democracy."

Mr. Omar said the only hindrance to international recognition is Somalia's reluctance to disband the union.

Somalia's new president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is holding talks with Mr. Silanyo on the union's future. They met two weeks ago in Ankara, Turkey, and plan another meeting in July.

Somaliland also is providing information to the West about terrorist activities in the region.

"Somaliland is a credible partner in the fight against terrorism," said Mr. Omar, adding that no violent extremists are based in his country. "Somaliland is a democratic, Muslim nation in a region with terrorism."

Although Somaliland is officially unrecognized, dozens of foreign countries have offices in the capital, Hargeisa. Somaliland also is attracting foreign business because of oil and gas reserves.

Mr. Omar met Thursday with Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, the third highest-ranking diplomat at the State Department. Mr. Silanyo earlier this week delivered a major speech before the prestigious Atlantic Council.

"The visit has been quite successful," Mr. Omar said.

• Email Embassy Row at jmorrison@washingtontimes.com. The column is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
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About the Author

James Morrison joined the The Washington Times in 1983 as a local reporter covering Alexandria, Va. A year later, he was assigned to open a Times bureau in Canada. From 1987 to 1989, Mr. Morrison was The Washington Times reporter in London, covering Britain, Western Europe and NATO issues. After returning to Washington, he served as an assistant foreign editor ...

'Part of 9/11 plane landing gear' found in New York

The 5ft piece of metal was found wedged between two buildings

New York police say what appears to be part of the landing gear of one of the jets flown into the World Trade Center on 11 September 2001 has been found.

The 5ft (1.52m) piece of metal, which bears a Boeing label and serial number, was wedged between two New York City buildings, police said.

It was found on Wednesday by surveyors inspecting a lower Manhattan building.

Nearly 3,000 people died in the terror attacks as planes were brought down in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Five suspected al-Qaeda militants are awaiting trial for the attacks at a military tribunal at the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"It's a manifestation of a horrific terrorist act a block and a half away from where we stand," New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters outside the secured site. "It brings back terrible memories to anyone who was here, who was involved in that event."

The piece was found in a narrow, rubbish-filled space 18in (0.45m) wide.
Broken pulley

Mr Kelly told reporters after inspecting it that a length of rope was looped around the piece of steel and that no marks were visible on the walls overhead.

What appears to be the remains of a broken pulley can be seen with the wreckage and the New York Times reports that Mr Kelly did not completely exclude the idea that the aircraft debris may have been lowered into the gap.

The New York Police Department has secured the area behind 51 Park Place and 50 Murray Street as a crime scene.

Analysts suggest a full exploration of the site may require some demolition work on the two buildings

The location is at the site where a mosque and community centre has been proposed, three streets away from "Ground Zero" - the site of the twin towers.

Police have taken photographs and are keeping it off-limits until a health assessment has been made by the medical examiner's office.

Mr Kelly said investigators will scour the space for possible human remains.

He said the landing gear was found at about 11:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Wednesday by surveyors hired by the owner of 51 Park Place.

At 08:46 on 11 September 2001, American Airlines flight 11 hit the World Trade Center's north tower. Seventeen minutes later, United flight 175 hit the south tower.

Although rubble from the attack was cleared in 2002, other debris has been found scattered across the area in the years since.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is accused of masterminding the attacks while the other four men being held at Guantanamo Bay are implicated for providing support for the co-ordinated hijacking.

They are charged with conspiring with al-Qaeda, terrorism, and one count of murder for each known victim of the 11 September attacks at the time the charges were filed - 2,976 in total.

The five face a possible death sentence if convicted.

Ethiopian Signs Agreement with Djibouti Airport for Sea – Air Transport

by Markos Berhanu

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Press Release) – Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing airline in Africa, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Djibouti International Airport for the provision of sea-air and air-sea cargo transport of goods in East Africa.

The MoU was signed at Ethiopian Airlines headquarters on Monday, 22 April 2013, between Mr. Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian, and Mr. Mohamed Yacoub Mahamoud, General Manager of Djibouti International Airport.

“As the largest air cargo service provider in Africa, we are a serious player in moving trade, commerce and investment, which are the engines of fast economic development in the continent. The cooperation framework with our longtime partner, Djibouti airport, will enable us to offer new menu of choice, sea-air multimodal transport services, to our shippers, forwarders, and logistics providers in Africa”, said Tewolde, CEO of Ethiopian.

Ethiopian Airlines is the biggest cargo operator in Africa flying to 25 destinations across the globe with six dedicated freighters of which two are Boeing 777-200 LR Freighters. The B777-200LRF is the most technological advanced cargo aircraft with ability to connect any two points in the world carrying 103 tons of cargo with reduced fuel consumption and less emission.

About Ethiopian

Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing airline in Africa, made its maiden international flight to Cairo in 1946 and now the Airline provides dependable services to 72 international destinations spanning four continents.

Ethiopian is proud to be a Star Alliance Member. The Star Alliance network is the leading global airline network offering customers convenient worldwide reach and a smoother travel experience. The Star Alliance network offers more than 21,555 daily flights to 1,356 airports in 193 countries.

Ethiopian is a multi-award winner for its commitment and contributions towards the development and growth of the African aviation industry and in recognition of its distinguished long-haul operations enhanced by the introduction of new routes and products. Recently, Ethiopian won “Airline Reliability Performance Award” from the Bombardier Aerospace; “African Airline of the Year Award” from Air Transport Quarterly Magazine; “Transformation Award 2012″ from Planet Africa Network; “International Diamond Prize for Excellence in Quality” from the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR). Also Captain Desta Zeru, Vice-President of Flight Operations, won “Africa Legend of Travel” award from African Travel Quarterly (ATQ) magazine; and Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, won “African CEO of the year” from the African CEO Forum as well as “African Business Leader of the Year” award from the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA).

With its acquisition of and firm orders for several new modern fleet, the airline is well positioned to pursue aggressively the implementation of its 2025 strategic plan to become the leading aviation group in Africa

New US Africom Commander makes first visit to Camp Lemonnier

General David M Rodriguez, Commander of the US military’s Africa Command, visited Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, this month as part of his first trip to Africa, less than two weeks into command of the American military presence on the continent.

Rodriguez, who took command of Africom at the beginning of April, met with deployed troops and presided over the assumption of command ceremony for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA).

 “I appreciate everything you’re doing. This is the only place we have an enduring base on the African continent, so CJTF-HOA is becoming increasingly important," said the general during an all-hands at Camp Lemonnier.

 US Africom's third commander since inception in 2008, Rodriguez noted that Africa is becoming more and more important.

 “Africa and its future are important to our nation and the world,” he said.

 As a result of focused, sustained engagement with East African nations in the form of operations, exercises and security co-operation, CJTF-HOA is meeting Africa/US shared security objectives, according to Africom. Rodriguez praised the audience of service members and civilians for its success developing partner-nation relationships that have provided the US the benefit of what he called “small footprint, high pay-off operations”.

 “The way Africom, CJTF-HOA and others in Africa have done business over the past years has set the standard for future operations across all combatant commands,” he said.

 At the CJTF-HOA assumption of command ceremony on April 18, the US Africom commander reiterated how service members and civilians deployed in support of CJTF-HOA are making a difference in supporting East Africa to build a better future.

 “The efforts of the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and civilians of CJTF-HOA are critical in supporting the nations of east Africa as they strengthen defence capabilities and regional co-operation,” Rodriguez said.

 In the Horn of Africa, CJTF-HOA is US Africom's operational command and conducts operations in the region to enhance partner-nation capacity, promote regional security and stability, dissuade conflict, and protect US and coalition interests, according to Africom. With approximately 2 000 personnel assigned, CJTF-HOA is headquartered at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, the US military's only enduring location in Africa.

 The US military also conducts unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations from Camp Lemonnier and has used its aircraft based in Djibouti to strike targets in Yemen and Somalia and conduct surveillance over the region.

 During his time as Africom commander, Rodriguez’ predecessor General Carter F Ham, visited 42 African during 101 trips to the continent, the majority of them from Africom headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

Somali Refugee Men in Malta Raped Italian Woman

The Somali community in Malta has expressed concern about the rape of an Italian woman, allegedly committed by several Somali men in Malta.

It expressed solidarity with the Italian woman and hoped that the men who committed the crime would be brought to justice.

“It is for the Maltese Court to decide on the case, but in general we wish to say that such actions against women are serious crimes and are not tolerated by law or by the Somali community.

“We are urging the Maltese government not to stop their tireless efforts to help Somali refugees who need protection. We also ask people not to judge the whole Somali community by the actions of a few.

“Finally, we the Somali Community are fully on the side of peace, respecting the laws, regulations and people of Malta. We are indeed grateful for your crucial assistance,” the community said.

Dawladda Somaliya oo dhinaca Badda ka weerartay Kismaayo

Waxay hubaysay barre Hiiraale, Axmed Madoobana wuxuu samaystay dhufaysyo

Kismaayo - Waxaa sii xoogeysanaya xiisado colaadeed oo ka aloosmay magaalada Kismaayo ee gobolka Jubada hoose tan iyo markii habeen ka hore uu halkaas gaadhay Col. Barre Aadan Shire (Hiiraale) oo dooni kaga ambabaxay Muqdisho.

Wararku waxay sheegayaan in kulamo dhexmaray Axmed Madoobe iyo Barre Hiiraale kuna saabsanaa shirka ka socda Kismaayo la isku fahmi waayey, waxaana kulamadaas barbar socday diyaar garow dagaal iyo dhaqdhaqaaq ciidan oo ay wadaan labada dhinac.

Sida ay sheegayaan wararku magaalada Kismaayo xeebaha ku dhow ayaa waxaa xalay gaadhay saddex doonyood oo Ciidamo iyo hub u siday Col Barre Hiiraale kuwaasoo ilaalinaya guriga uu degay Barre Hiiraale iyadoo ay ku biireen ciidamo kale oo ku sugnaa Kismaayo.

Hogaamiyaha Jabhada Raaskambooni Axmed Madoobe ayaa dagaal adag oo muddo dheer qaatay u soo galay la wareegida Kismaayo isagoo taageero siyaasadeed iyo mid mileteri ka haystaa ciidanka Kenya oo ah awooda ugu weyn ee maamusha Kismaayo kuwaasoo magaca AMISOM halkaas ku jooga.

Barre Hiiraale oo horay dhowr mar Kismaayo u soo maamulay ayaa waxaa soo baxaya warar sheegaya inuu taageero siyaasadeed iyo milateri ka heysto dowlada Somalia, si meesha looga saaro Axmed Madoobe iyo kooxdiisa oo magac ahaan ogol dowlada, hase ahaatee siyaasad ahaan diidan.

Ciidamo kala taabacsan labada dhinac ayaa fariisimo milateri ka kala sameysanaya gudaha iyo daafaha magaalada Kismaayo, waxaan laga cabsi qabaa inuu dagaal ka qarxo halkaas, iyadoo dadweynaha magaalada ay wadnaha farta ku hayaan xiisadaha halkaas ka jira awgeed iyagoo isweydiinaya sida ay waxyeeli lahaayeen haddiiba labada dhinac ee magaalada ku loolamaya ay food is daraan.

Somali jihadi tweets picture of 'assassination attempt'

he most-wanted American jihadi in Somalia has tweeted bloody photos of himself after an apparent failed assassination attempt.

By James Brooks

Omar Hammami, a former member of militant Islamic group al-Shabab, posted photos of his bloodied face and neck after having allegedly been shot by an assassin whilst sitting in a tea shop in Somalia.

After falling out with the religious group, Hammami has publicised several death threats made against him, announcing last Friday that al-Shabab's leader was sending forces to kill him.

"Just been shot in neck by Shabab assassin, not critical yet," the 29-year-old posted, amongst a series of frantic tweets.

"Sitting in tea place then 3 shots behind to left, pistol I think, they ran," he later added.

Hammami later revealed that the bullets had just missed his arteries and windpipe and that he was being treated with antiseptic and gauze.